Golf ball washer



Feb. 6, 19 51 I. F. NETTERSTROM 2,540,637

GOLF BALL WASHER Filed Feb. 2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. I444 F NETTEfSTfM ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 6, 1951 F. NETTERSTROM GOLF BALL WASHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb 2, 1946 m M m w.

ill ill ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 6, 1951 GULFBALL WASHER.

Ivan F; Netterstrom;-Daytn; 0mm

Application February 2, 1946, SeriaLNo-45,033

Myirrven-tiomreiatesto goli ball washers and" particularly to the-"rotary type adapted to wash a; plurality "of 'golf balls at the same-time;

In such -w-washer, it iis'my object I to provide:- a feeder trou'glr' fr'om which the balls will befed automaticallyinto "--the swasher' and to: also :pro-

vide an: automaticL-release "which, when thcz balls have? been :carried around a; desired number. of

times'pnsthe washingwvheel iorspider; will autoe 31Gl'aims; (Cl; 15 -21)" matically discharge: the" washed bails into: a:

readily; accessible discharges-trough;

' A further object isfi toprovid a washer" in" which the-:ballsscannot become-.lost' (or fail to: come out) andwhere rotation of the washing wheel"?! either: clockwise"? or counterclockwiserwill bring; the? balls: around to theautomatics. di'se charge trough;

' A- still-turther object is tofprovide novel types= o.-ibrusheswith a mountingyarrangement which keepssthabrushes impositionor: permit their re--- movalwitha;;isimple adjustment so that the brushes may be replaced :orvrepaired;

Anotherzob-ject is-to provide a-go1f ballwasher in-swhich theiballs-may'beexposed to new-un--- worm! bristles: by; the simple expedient o f re I versing the positionnoteach: brush orchanging can be readily removed in the winter'season and supported, w-henin 1ise-, in such ar-steady manner that rough handling will not injure them or cause them to get out of order:

' The-foregoing objects and man-y- =other' obj ects of functional desirability and constructive simplicity-and-to which referencewill be made ihrtliefollowing description I accomplish by that certain. combination and arrangement ofparts ot' which' I haveshow-napreferred embodiment.

' In itliekdrawings:

Figure lliscaperspective vievwof the' wash'er mti'iitiie. covenin placer Figure: 221's eat-perspective "view of the washer with nth-"e: cover thrown back.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of one of the brushes.

Figure"! is a plan view of the assembly.-

Figure his a sideelevatiompart of the: bowl being: taken away to. V reveai the r. internal con.- struction? 1 'I'he'*bow1"I"ofthe'washer is semicircular iii shape" and thiclrenough to accommodatentwo: scrubbing brushes 2 3 also 2 of Q semicircular" shape; and with' -the bristies'textendingput" horizontally; those" of 'one: brush" toward'those of the other, with enough space between the bristles 'to accommodate the'spideror sprocket3; carrying the balls to be washed;

A sludge "basin 4" is formed 'out"from"the "base; of the-*bowlhaving adrain-plug"5which; when." removed; will" permit the'sedim'ent and dii't'yi Water to drain out? The balls are' keptfrom? dropping into the sump"- by: frictional cont ct with the bristles of 'the brushes.

Bolted' toa side wall of F the bowl" there is'" a; coupling 6 which-permits the washer to be rse= curelymounted" on a pipe length 1' which" may be permanently secured in a" concrete block the ground as at 801' supported'on' a-fi'atb'ase: The 'coupiing= is '-preferabiy' a split coupling with bolts fia' whi'clr permit tightening the-coupling on the end "of the p'ipe length.

The bowl' is provided with bearing" bosses 9* through whiche shaft foextends:- Oh the shaft there: is secured -a conventional shaped turning" handle" I I. Turn-ing of- 'thehandlecauses mm tion ofthe sl'iaft [0 which" carriessth'e spider wheel 3.

The particular wheel illustrated Y has six ball receiving 'pockets' I 2;. each pocket being formed by curved? retaining" lugs l3. The pockets are iniength'abbut twice the'idiarnet'eroi a golf 'b'alf whi'ch-ip'ermits the-$21 8 tOTmOVB' backhnd iorth during washing. soii as-i'to: expose the entire sur face to: the'scrubbingactionfof thebrushes; The-*- tips of the lugs l3 are so zspacedzfasi'to be slightly-* less distance apart thanitwice 'zthe diameter 'ofi a golfzba'll;

The; brushes-L" illustrated: have: semicircular:

arseriesiof bristles :l5ibound together?and seeuredd in-".a;-seriesof-c spaced holesr= IB Where such brushes; through?" long usage; become" worn out; it .is-a-n inexpensive job 'torhave certainrof the: bristlesreplaced '1 thereby: renewing" the brush:

- to one of uniform=bristle lengths.

Then brushes slidewith? an endwise rotary movement'- into position in the-bowl e-andx-by; have ing the cover I 6 provided with bottom flanges-:- lLthe ibrushaeaarei. held in position at their ends when the washer iSviIl use. The construction ofs-the brushes'ris such that'unusual washing-ciliciency is accomplishedvasc-the: balls; being can-qried around in the pockets, are actual-ly in contact witirthe:brushesiduringione hal-i arcompletee revolutionintithewheela Theibowl-has ledges-cam,

Each brush may be removed and replaced in reversed end position or the brushes may be interchanged from side to side thereby exposing new bristles to the balls being washed. The brushes may be held in position by springs, if desired. During the normal travel of a ball it is exposed to bristles throughout half of the complete orbit. a

The cover is hingedly mounted as indicated at 18p A bolt I9 having a portion of its shaft swedged outwardly to form a flange so that it cannot be removed from the apertured boss 20, in which it is mounted, holds the cover down by having its threaded end 2| engaged in a tapped and threaded boss 22 in the cover.

The cover is provided with a receiving trough 23 having a discharge opening for balls facing the periphery of the wheel. The receiving hopper been washed, by opening the flap cover 24. which is' hinged as shown at 25 and provided with a thumb trigger 2 6, gravity will cause the balls to roll out from the side of the pocket and into the discharge trough or hopper 21.

lpstrated has acapacity for four balls. Since the balls coming out of the washer carry water, I.have provided a passage 21a through which the water drains back into the basin 4.

. It is a particularly novel feature of my washer that the balls will fall out from the pockets when the flap cover 24 is opened, whether the handle is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. The washer Works just as well backwardly as forwardly. As long as balls are placed in the receiving hopper they will feed into the recei ing pockets and be discharged into the delivery hopper when the flap cover is opened.

; -Water and soap solution may be poured into the bowl through the discharge opening from the receiving hopper or the cover may be thrown back. The bowl is preferably filled about half full. The sediment settles out at the bottom and does not contaminate the washing fluid. This is because the sediment chamber is out of the orbit of the 7 ball pockets carrying balls.

;-The;simplicity of operation of the washer; its low cost of manufacture from a few simple castings of metal or plastic; its sturdiness; its foolproofonerational functions: and the're'adiness' with"whichit.may be mounted on the end o a pipe, all combine to make it a golf ball washer of exceptional desirability. It will be understood that changes in size or shape will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from tatesQancl "at-cover for said bowl'having aball' receiving hopper provided witha discharge open The trough -il- 4 ing facing the periphery of said wheel to permit the delivery of balls to said pockets and a ball delivery trough provided with a flap valve to permit the delivery of balls from the ball receiving pockets, said pockets having lugs inclined in the direction of the delivery trough to discharge balls sideways from said pockets by gravity when the flap valve is open.

2. A rotary golf ball Washer comprising a narrow semi-circular bowl, a rotatable wheel with ball receiving pocketsmounted within said bowl and having a portion projecting above the bowl, a cover for said bowl having a, ball receiving hopper provided with a discharge opening facing the periphery of said wheel to permit the delivery of balls to said pockets and a ball delivery trough provided with a flap valve to permit the delivery of balls from the ball receiving pockets, said pockets having lugs inclined in the'direction of the delivery trough to discharge. balls sideways from said pockets by gravity when the flap valve is open, and a pair of semi-circular brushes mounted within the bowl and having opposed bristles against which balls in the pockets will be carried, said cover provided with means for holding both ends of said brushes in position.

3. In combination in a golf ball washer having a rotatable Wheel with single ball carrying pock ets arranged circumferentially thereof, to carry balls in a circular vertical path around the axis ofthe wheel, a cover for said washer having a ball receiving hopper provided with a discharge opening facing the periphery of said wheel to permit the delivery of balls to said pockets, and a ball delivery trough provided with a fiapvalve to permit the delivery of balls from the said pockets. said pockets having lugs inclined in the direction of the said delivery trough to discharge balls sideways from said pockets by gravity when said flap valve is open, and a' pair of bristle brushes provided with means for mounting same within the washer one brush on one side of the .wheel and one on the other with the bristl-s REFERENCES CITED following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name y Date 1,730,973 Henrizia Oct. 8, 1929 1.735539 Krause I. Nov. 12, 1929 1,748,872 Farley Feb. 25, 1930 1,773 149 Laing Aug. 19, 1930 1,796,527 rLisk-a 1 Mar. 17, 1931 1,797,000 Laing Mar. 17, 1931- 1,8'71,139 Wilcox, Jr. et a1. Aug. 9, 1932 1,954,738 Lerch Apr. 10, 1934 1,991,183 Sundahl Feb. 12,1935 2,005,115 Stutz June 18,1935 2,198,441 Mollar Apr. 23,- 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country v Date 1,101,862 Great Britain Aug. 1, 191-7 Great Britain June 28,1922? 

